Friday, April 23, 2010

We've all heard the stories. Debt collectors can be brutal when trying to get you to pay on outstanding debts. I've heard of debt collectors (specifically Sallie Mae) sending as many as 17 letters a day asking you to pay on your past due student loans. I've heard of senior citizens being told that they will be hauled off to jail if they don't pay on credit card debt. Of course, I wrote about Michelle Bisutti who found her loans compounding with every payment she couldn't make. The debt collectors call you daily--multiple times a day--they call your parents, your employers and even your neighbors in pursuit of payment on debt. What can you do to get away from the debt collectors?

Well, an English man had the ingenious idea of becoming a female to avoid his debt.

One was the case of man from the West Midlands area who decided to have a sex change in a bid to dodge debt collectors.The man is believed to have gone through with the operation, but is now thought to be in the process of sorting out his debts and paying off his creditors.He is thought to have built up the massive debt – around £50,000 – after falling behind on his mortgage payments and credit card bills after losing his job.

I have no idea why this would do the trick. It's my understanding that one must change his birth certificate to reflect the new genitalia and change his name--but in this country, the social security number haunts you. Maybe that isn't the case in England. Lucky bastard. He definitely gets points for creativity. I hope he doesn't miss his penis too much.

At this point, I almost wish they would bring back the debtor's prisons. Wouldn't it be nice if you spent a year behind bars and came out free and clear? Just an idea.

2 comments:

Yea, I'm thinking the easier thing to do is to move to a third world tropical island somewhere.

But hey, if surgery is your cup of tea, maybe consider just visiting a third world country and then selling a kidney or a lung? God gave you two and you technically can survive with just one of each. (though, I'm not sure about the complications of such surgeries.) I hear you can also do part of your liver and it will regenerate.

On a tropical island related note, I think I remember one of you is a huge fan of Lost and asked if any of the main characters were lawyers. We finally have one!! Ilana (Jacob's candidates' "bodyguard"?) appears to be a BigLaw attorney in non-crash flash-sideways. Hooray! Move over, minor characters Walt's mom and stepdad.

This story is hilarious and pitiful. It would suck if someone revealed this person's identity and after going through a sex change s/he would still be forced to pay off her loans. Fifty pounds isn't even a lot compared to what most students in the US owe to Sallie Mae and Access Group.